Ocoee Open Gym: Standouts

<p>Last night I made the trip over to Ocoee for an open gym. There were players from Lake Minneola, Lake Brantley, Ocoee and Windermere Prep in attendance. They participated in shooting drills, one-on one drills and then finished off playing full court five on five. These are some of the players who stood out:</p> <p>PG [player_tooltip player_id="829440" first="Drew" last="Kousaie"] 6-0 Windermere Prep (2022)</p> <p>Kousaie has been a steady contributor since his sophomore year at Windermere Prep. He’s a kid who accepts the role that his team needs him to play. As a sophomore he played more off the ball coming in and being a threat from 3-point territory. As a Junior the Lakers needed a Point Guard so Kousaie stepped up to the plate and made a smooth transition into the starting lead guard role. Last night he rarely missed a shot, got by defenders and made the correct pass vs. shot decisions. He handled the ball against pressure well and looked smooth and un phased while doing so. Defensively he was able to contain his man both on the ball and off the ball. Kousaie has been a guy who has been overlooked playing with a 7-footer and a few Division I players both in high school and travel ball but there is no doubt in my mind he can be a productive player at the college level.</p> <p>CG [player_tooltip player_id="962589" first="Dylan" last="Diaz"] 6-2 Lake Minneola (2023)</p> <p>I had heard good things, but I had never seen Diaz play in person until last yesterday. Diaz impressed the entire night both in drills and in the scrimmage. His confidence as a player was fun to watch. He moves effortlessly with fluid athleticism, can shoot both off the catch and dribble, and is athletic enough to crush one down in transition or in traffic. He made the right quick decisions both on the break and in a half court setting, and always seemed to find the open man. With quick feet and hands Diaz has potential to be a great defender at the next level with added strength. He was alert and anticipated well getting into passing lanes. With two full seasons left to hone his craft, I see Diaz translating well to the college game. His leadership qualities, and high GPA only help his case.</p> <p>G/F Ayden Nadler 6-3 Windermere Prep (2023)</p> <p>After transferring in from Montverde Academy, I was curious to see the Windermere Prep newcomer. After watching him play for ten minutes I was very excited to see the Lakers play in the regular season. Nadler gives Windermere Prep another well -rounded high IQ player who can shoot at a high clip, pass, and dribble. The wing excelled as a finisher in transition, and ripped through and got by his defender in the half court and also made shots when the right opportunities were presented. Off the court Nadler holds a 4.3 GPA making him a solid high academic prospect that colleges should keep tabs on.</p> <p>SF [player_tooltip player_id="1164251" first="Eric" last="Vandendriessche"] 6-5 Lake Brantley (2023)</p> <p>I came into the gym thinking that Vandendriessche was a catch and shoot guy, and left with the impression that he has more to his game. He is great shooting from distance and in the midrange making more shots than he missed, but he also showed that he has the ability to rip through or pump fake, take a dribble or two to the basket and score. The Lake Brantley wing has enough size to him to be effective on the glass, and post up smaller guards. Athletically he wont drop any jaws, however he caught me by surprise throwing down dunks in drills and he contained his man defensively. Scoring in the top five percent on his PSAT Vandendriessche is looking to play at a high academic program and he has enough game to achieve that goal.</p> <p>SF Javyn Thomas 6-4 Ocoee (2023)</p> <p>Another player i saw in person for the first time, Thomas was intriguing based on his defensive prowess and competitive nature. The wing is strong enough to bang in the post, and quick enough to defend small guards. He also has a bit of an alpha dog mentality in that he wants to go after the best player in the gym, and that is great to see. Offensively he has a nice midrange game, and scores off strong drives to the rim where he can finish through contact. It’s not hard to tell that he is the son of a coach, as he is always making hustle plays, and willing to do the dirty work.</p>